


A Wayhaught Christmas

by Haught_Damn



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/F, Wayhaught - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 02:57:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8951155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haught_Damn/pseuds/Haught_Damn
Summary: Nicole and Waverly prepare to celebrate their first Christmas together. Excuse the lame title.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I’m back! The semester from hell is over and I managed to save my GPA! To get into the holiday spirit and because I’m dying for Season 2, here’s some Wayhaught goodness. 
> 
> This is possibly the fluffiest, most cliché shit you have ever laid eyes on, but damn it if it doesn’t make you (aka me) feel good.

Nicole exited the police station in a hurry, the door swinging shut behind her as she pulled on her sheriff department jacket, gloves, and a black knit beanie in place of her usual Stetson. The redhead quickly zipped the insulated material up to guard against the cold, tucking her ears into her hat, as she made her way towards Shorty’s, making sure that her hair, now down from its usual braid, stayed out of the way. As the local watering hole came into view, a grin spread across her face. She hadn’t even seen Waverly yet and she was already excited. Tonight was their weekly date night, although it was hard to call it weekly when the last two had been postponed due to some _unexpected circumstances_ , meaning Black Badge business. While Nicole was very happy that she had finally been clued in to what was going on in Purgatory, being a double agent for the sheriff department and a top secret cross-border task force did not allow for a lot of free time, especially when you were dating the brains behind all of their available research. The officer could hardly remember the last time she and Waverly had actually had a moment to themselves, and with Christmas coming around at the end of the week, Nicole wanted nothing more than to spend time introducing some of her family’s traditions to Waverly, and maybe making some new ones of their own. She fiddled with the small package in her jacket pocket, anxiety creeping into her mind. She quickly brushed it off; Waverly wasn’t going to receive half of her Christmas present until much later in the evening. The stress could come later.

The redhead pushed through the first set of double doors into the bar, neglecting to shed her outerwear because she wouldn’t be staying long. The familiar rumble of local regulars enjoying their drink of choice intensified as she opened the inner doors, scanning the room quickly before her gaze settled on a particular brunette. Waverly was furiously polishing some glasses as Nicole walked up to the bar, placing her hands on the smooth wood as she slid into the empty stool right in front of her girlfriend, who so focused on the task at hand that she was completely unaware of the officer’s presence.

“I thought you were supposed to be off at seven?”

Waverly jumped, juggling the glass in her hands but thankfully not dropping it. Letting out a sigh of relief, she looked over at Nicole, who was trying not to laugh. “Jesus Nicole, you scared the crap out of me!” The smaller girl placed the glass and polishing rag down on the counter. “I was just helping Gus out until you got here, it’s pretty busy tonight.”

“Waverly Earp, you had better not call off date night just because it’s a little bit more crowded than usual…” Nicole started, her eyes narrowing in feigned annoyance. 

“No, of course not! I’m ready to go when you are.” Waverly said, putting up the last of her things as she walked around the bar to where Nicole was sitting. The brunette placed a chaste kiss on the taller girl’s lips. “And last time I checked, the last two cancellations were your fault.” Waverly grinned over her shoulder as she walked over to the coatrack to grab her thick puffer jacket, slipping it on over her sweater. She made sure her jeans were tucked into her boots and put her earmuffs on as Nicole came up to meet her at the door. She waved goodbye to Gus, who had taken over bartending duties, before turning to her girlfriend. “You ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Nicole said as gave a curt nod to Gus. She looked to Waverly, smiling as she took the smaller girl’s gloved hand in her own and pushed the doors open, leading them both outside.

It was just a short walk down the street to their favorite coffee shop, a date night staple, but the couple took their time to admire their surroundings. It wasn’t difficult for the people of Purgatory to decorate their little town for the holidays, and everyone made sure that it looked positively charming. White lights wrapped around every lamppost lining the streets, bathing everything in a soft glow. The town square featured a large Christmas tree in the middle, covered in silver garland and ornaments donated from almost every family in Ghost River County. Even Dolls had made a contribution, a tiny Arizona Cardinals football helmet, after both Wynonna and Waverly had insisted that he _had_ to participate. It was such a contrast from Christmas in the city, and Nicole absolutely loved it. Waverly glanced up to find a look of almost childish awe upon the officer’s face. The brunette smiled, releasing Nicole’s hand in order to link arms with the taller girl, resting her head on her shoulder as they continued to make their way down the road. 

With the coffee shop in sight, Nicole felt tiny bits of cold begin to hit her nose with increasing frequency. The redhead looked up to discover that it was starting to snow, the white flakes drifting down to land on every available surface. Waverly giggled, holding her hand out to catch the delicate crystals on her black gloves, admiring their individual shapes before they melted from the heat of her palms. The flurries soon intensified, and by the time they made it to the entrance to the coffee shop the entire town was covered in a thin layer of white. Nicole made to open the door, pausing as she looked back at her girlfriend and erupted in laughter. 

“What?” Waverly asked, obviously confused. Nicole, still laughing, pointed to the brunette’s head.

“Your hair! You’ve gone all _Frozen_ on me!” Waverly pulled out her phone, flipping the camera so that she could get a good look at herself, and was also not able to contain her amusement. The youngest Earp looked like a true ice princess , with snow sticking all over her usual long side braid and the top of her head, as well as her eyelashes. She continued to chuckle as Nicole brushed the offending flakes off and ushered her inside, the warmth of the café welcoming them.

After hanging up their coats and taking off gloves, hats, and earmuffs, they both ordered their usual, black coffee and a hot panini sandwich for Waverly and a cappuccino and French onion soup for Nicole. After they paid for the food, they sat in their usual booth, where Waverly proceeded to cut her sandwich in two and Nicole carefully poured half of her soup into the extra bowl the barista had provided, smiling at the couple’s routine. After passing their respective shares to each other, the pair dug in, happy to be finally be enjoying each other’s company in one of their mutually favorite places. They chatted casually about their day, discussing the sheriff department’s preparations for their annual Christmas party and how Waverly had to deal with a particularly unruly patron after she had cut him off for the night. They discussed how the Revenant activity had thankfully slowed in the last few days, even though Dolls, Wynonna, and Doc were currently on a stakeout trying to gather some intel. Mentioning that the trio wouldn’t be returning to the Homestead until the next day earned Waverly a mischievous grin from Nicole, which she effectively silenced with a playful kick to the redhead’s shin, shaking her head. Having finished her meal, Nicole peered out the window, once again admiring the town square and it’s brightly lit surroundings, which looked even better amongst the falling snow. Taking Waverly’s free hand, she turned to the smaller girl.

“What are some of your Christmas traditions? You know, from when you were a kid?” she asked. Waverly broke eye contact with the officer, looking down at her half-finished sandwich with an unreadable expression. Nicole mentally kicked herself, putting two and two together that considering what she knew about Waverly’s family history, holidays probably weren’t very happy memories for the youngest Earp. She was about to take back her question when the brunette lifted her gaze and spoke.

“I honestly don’t really remember Christmas when I was little, so it must not have been that memorable. After Mama left, Daddy was probably too busy with being the Heir to decorate the house.” She chuckled, brushing a piece of hair that had come loose from her braid away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “I’m pretty sure the only thing that he did that one could normally ascribe to the holidays was drink a little too much alcohol. If he got us presents, I don’t remember what they were, although it’s perfectly possible that Willa and Wynonna got something and I didn’t. We _are_ talking about the man who forgot my birthday on several occasions.”

“Wave…” Nicole tightened her grip on Waverly’s hand, rubbing small, soothing circles with her thumb. The brunette waved off the officer’s sympathetic gaze, her eyes brightening at more recent memories. 

“It wasn’t all bad! When I went to live with Gus and Curtis, they made every holiday a big deal, New Year’s, Halloween, Thanksgiving…and Christmas. Uncle Curtis absolutely _loved_ Christmas. We would make snow forts and have snowball fights in the yard, go sledding down this huge hill up the road, make gingerbread houses, and go look at all the Christmas lights in town.” Waverly snorted into her coffee. “There was one time when me and Gus were making cookies for my class at school, and Uncle Curtis and I thought it would be a great idea for us to eat as much raw cookie dough as we could, even though Gus told us not to. We got sooooo sick! We were banned from the kitchen for the rest of the year!” The brunette looked to her and Nicole’s joined hands, entwining their fingers. “We didn’t have much, but we always had a giant dinner on Christmas Eve, and I always had something waiting for me under the tree in the morning." Waverly offered a small smile to the girl sitting across from her. "There was so much love in that house Nic, Christmastime quickly became my favorite time of year. And now I get to spend it with you, too.”

The officer’s face and the tips of her ears turned a light shade of pink as she smiled back at her girlfriend, bringing their joined hands up to kiss Waverly’s knuckles. The brunette finished her sandwich, brushing the stray crumbs from her sweater, and pointed at Nicole. “Okay, your turn. Favorite Christmas traditions?”

“Definitely decorating the tree,” Nicole replied, a smile spreading across her face as she recalled the fond times of her childhood. “It was as tall as our ceiling; I honestly don’t know how we got it to fit. We would put Christmas music on and make hot chocolate while my dad handled the lights. After he was done, my mom would pass me and my sister the ornaments. I was the youngest, and for most Christmases the shortest, so I did the bottom of the tree while Haley did the middle. Mom and Dad did the top, but we alternated between Haley and I for who put the topper on each year. My dad had to lift us up so we could make it.” Nicole’s brown eyes twinkled with amusement. She suddenly burst out into a fit of giggles. “One year, when I was a little older but still couldn’t reach, he lost his grip on me and we almost knocked the whole thing over. We got a ladder after that!” Waverly also started laughing. From what Nicole had told her about her family, she could just imagine the chaos that had unfolded while all four Haughts frantically attempted to save the tree but also tried not to kill Nicole in the process. After she composed herself, Nicole continued. 

“I just really wish we could have had a real Christmas tree at some point, you know? Living in the city made trying to find a place that sold them relatively cheap almost impossible, and the artificial one was so much easier for Mom to set up by herself if Dad wasn’t home. I’ve always heard that nothing beats coming home to the fresh smell of the tree during Christmas. It’s a small thing, but I’d be lying if I said having a real one wasn’t on my bucket list.”

“Is that so?” Waverly said, a knowing expression creeping over her features. Nicole looked back at her in confusion. _What did she have planned?_ The brunette wriggled out of her seat and headed towards the door. “Come on, Nic, get your stuff on. I have a surprise for you.”

The couple quickly walked back to Shorty’s, hand in hand, towards the back parking lot. Nicole’s fingertips once again bumped into the item in her pocket. _Not yet._

“Close your eyes!” Waverly said, gently leading Nicole to what she presumed was the younger girl’s car so they could go home. Fresh snow crunched under their boots as hands suddenly made the officer stop. “Okay, open them!” Nicole slowly opened her eyes, and for a moment just thought that she was staring at her girlfriend’s red Jeep. Then she saw what was on the roof. A six foot tall Christmas tree was tied to the top of the car, slightly covered in snow from the past few hours, but it was definitely real. 

“No way.” Nicole walked up to the side of the Jeep, lifting herself up to examine the tree. She pulled off one of her gloves, running her hand down one of the branches to feel the spiky needles covering it. This was definitely different from her tree back home. She inhaled, taking in the clean scent of pine as she hopped down and turned to face Waverly, beaming as she enveloped the smaller girl in a giant hug. “How did you know?” she asked as they pulled apart, still in each other’s arms.

“You mentioned it to Wynonna at the police station at some point a couple weeks ago. We both thought that you definitely needed a proper tree for your first Christmas in Purgatory, so yesterday we went out to the Pine Barrens and got one. I even cut it down myself!” Nicole looked at Waverly, playful doubt written across her face. “Okay, Dolls _might_ have helped a little, but I definitely did most of the work.” The redhead grinned once more as she leaned down to capture Waverly’s lips in a kiss.

“It’s perfect,” she said, tapping Waverly lightly on the nose, causing the brunette to shyly look away. “You’re perfect.” Waverly’s gaze snapped back up to meet Nicole’s. There was something in the officer’s eyes, something so sincere that it warmed the smaller girl’s body all the way down to her toes and put butterflies in her stomach. She had seen it before, when she and Wynonna had left Nicole on the floor of the police station with thankfully only a couple of bruised ribs thanks to her eldest sister. Waverly was fairly certain what it was, or what it was starting to become, and it kind of scared her to think about it and its implications. They hadn’t been dating for very long, only a few months. However, there was also a large, overwhelming part of this that felt so _right_. If she was being honest with herself, she was infinitely happier now than she ever was with Champ. He had been good to her for the most part, but Waverly had never felt this way about anyone before. Nicole made her feel like she could do anything, like she wasn’t the “weird Earp girl” that she had been to everyone in Purgatory for her entire life. With Nicole, she was just Waverly. While it was true that the brunette had mostly said what she said to Wynonna that day in the police station to save her girlfriend’s life, the way that Nicole looked at her, the way that being with her was starting to feel like home, indicated to Waverly that she was probably looking back at the officer in the same way.

After a few minutes, the pair became aware of the chill creeping through their jackets. Waverly kissed Nicole one more time before they broke apart, both of them clambering into the Jeep while she put the keys into the ignition, cranking the heat all the way up. The ride back to the Homestead didn’t take long, not that many people were still out on the roads this late at night, especially with the snow. After parking in front of the old house, Waverly went to unlock the door while Nicole made quick work of the knots keeping the tree in place. They both worked together to lower it off of the car to the ground, where Nicole took it upon herself to half carry, half drag the tree past the snowman that they and Wynonna had made earlier, up the stairs of the porch, and through the front door that Waverly held open for her. Once inside, the brunette guided the officer over to the living room, where a sturdy tree stand was waiting. Nicole held the Christmas tree straight while Waverly bent down to carefully screw it into place, securing the trunk to the base. They took a quick break to take off their outerwear, each of them stripping down to their jeans and sweaters. Nicole ran a hand through her hair as she looked at the still naked tree, glancing over to Waverly, who was kneeling in front of the fireplace in an attempt to warm the house.

“So what are we gonna decorate it with?”

“Way ahead of you, babe.” The brunette stood, rubbing her hands together while the fire began to burn brightly against the brick, the orange flames giving off just as much light as heat. Waverly turned on her heel to quickly pad into the kitchen, her socked feet making minimal noise on the wooden floor. She brought back a huge plastic container with her, which she set in front of Nicole. “Tada!” She took off the lid with a flourish, revealing the string of multicolored lights and tons of ornaments that laid within. Nicole’s eyes lit up at the sight of the decorations, gently lifting the loop of lights out of the container and handing them to Waverly. The younger girl then proceeded to plug them in to make sure they were all working, and began to wrap them around the bottom of the tree.

“Wait!” Waverly froze, looking at Nicole, who had proceeded to dash over to the fireplace and place her phone on the speaker dock on the mantle. The redhead furiously scrolled through her playlists until she found the right one. She pressed play, and Christmas music began to fill the living room. Nicole looked over to Waverly, smiling. “Okay, we’re good. Carry on.” Waverly shook her head, chuckling as she continued to wind the lights around the tree until she reached the top. The next thirty minutes or so were spent in almost absolute silence as the couple placed ornaments on branches, speaking only to ask an opinion on what should go where. Nicole quietly hummed along to whatever song came up next, and Waverly felt that feeling in her stomach again. She loved it when Nicole sang with whatever was playing in the car, and this was just as delightful. The officer would vehemently deny it, and god forbid if you asked her to do karaoke night at Shorty’s, but she was very talented. Waverly had persuaded her to play the guitar she kept in her closet at her apartment for her a few times, and for some reason that simple act, Nicole softly singing some random pop song to her as her hands moved across the strings, was just as intimate as anything she had ever experienced.

When the last ornament had been placed, Waverly peered into the container and lifted out the last part to their masterpiece. “Here, Nic, you put the star on top. I can’t quite reach it.” Nicole shook her head, walking into the kitchen to get the step ladder than was leaning against the wall.

“No way Waves, we wouldn’t even have this tree if it weren’t for you. You should do the honors.” Nicole unfolded the ladder in front of the tree, gesturing to the brunette to climb up. “Besides, it can be my turn next year.” Waverly paused slightly before she placed the star on the top branch of the tree, stepping off the ladder to look up at the redhead, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“ _Next year?_ ” she asked, eyebrow raised and arms crossed.

“Well yeah, um, I…” Nicole stammered, her face turning the same color as her hair.

Waverly took both of Nicole’s hands in hers, pulling her closer so that she could wrap the taller girl’s arms around her waist. “I _guess_ I’ll be able to put up with you for an entire year.” 

“Yeah?” the officer whispered. Maybe letting her intentions slip had been a good thing after all. Waverly nodded in agreement, smiling softly, as she slowly turned around in Nicole’s embrace to face the tree. She felt Nicole’s chin come to rest on her shoulder as they both admired the twinkling lights and ornaments scattered amongst the branches, listening to the faint sound of the latest Christmas love song emanating from the speaker on the mantle. "It's beautiful." Nicole said softly, tightening her grip around Waverly's middle.

"It definitely is." The brunette squeezed Nicole's hands as she turned back around to face her. “You wanna watch a movie? I can pull up Netflix on my laptop.”

“Sure.” The redhead released Waverly so that she could run upstairs to grab her computer. When she returned, she heard Nicole rummaging around in the kitchen.

“Nic? What are you doing in there?”

“You can’t watch a movie without snacks! I’m just throwing some stuff together; go ahead and set everything up!” Waverly shrugged and proceeded to grab a blanket and throw it over to the couch. She plugged her laptop’s charger into the wall and started to navigate to the correct website as she heard popping sounds coming from the microwave. Nicole soon emerged, cradling a giant bowl of popcorn and two mugs. She set one of them in front of Waverly as she settled herself next to her on the couch, placing her own mug and the bowl on the table.

“Hot chocolate?” Waverly wrapped her hands around the steaming mug as she took a sip of the sweet liquid, releasing a sigh of contentment.

“Of course. You can’t watch a movie at Christmastime when it’s freezing cold outside without it. You only had the powdered stuff in there, but I used hot milk instead of water, so it should be good.” Nicole pulled the blanket over both of their legs as Waverly continued to search for a movie for them to watch. She started to fidget, looking back and forth from the computer screen to the brunette, obviously nervous about something.

“Um, Wave?”

“Hmm?” Waverly said, as she continued to scroll through movie titles. Nicole gently pulled the laptop from the younger girl’s lap and set it on the table as Waverly turned to face her, tucking her feet underneath her. “Nicole? What’s going on?”

“You kind of gave me an early present with the tree and all, so I, um, want to give you one too, if that’s okay?”

“Of course.” Nicole instantly stood up and quickly walked over to where her jacket was hanging near the front door, leaving a very confused Waverly on the couch. It was almost like if she didn’t do this as soon as possible, she would lose her nerve. 

“I was planning on giving it to you tonight anyways, and it’s just a part of your gift from me so…” The officer made her way back to the couch, a small box in her hands. She sat back down and handed it to Waverly, who looked up to meet the officer’s eyes, still puzzled. “Just open it,” she said, “you’ll see.”

Waverly gently pulled the ribbon on top of the box and opened the lid. Setting it aside, she looked at what rested inside. It was a key. “Nicole…” she started, but the redhead quickly stopped her, realizing that what she was afraid of was about to happen.

“No, don’t freak out yet; it’s not what you think. Yes, that’s a key to my apartment, but not for you to move in. I might like you a lot Waverly Earp, but it’s still a little too early for that. Plus, you’re the safest here.” Nicole smiled at the brunette, hoping to ease the slight tension that had emerged between them. She could see Waverly relax a little bit, so she continued. “It’s more for practical reasons, really. I’m still kind of new in town, and I need someone that I trust to have an extra key to my place just in case something happens again. I swear, if Nedley has to climb through my window one more time to feed the cat, he might die.” Waverly giggled at that, and the fear that had been sitting in the pit of Nicole’s stomach slowly dissipated. “Also, it’s right down the road from Shorty’s and the police station. If you ever need a break to like, I don’t know, grab something to eat or take a quick nap or whatever, you can come and go as you please. Plus,” Nicole took Waverly’s hand, “I figured that after the multiple, um, _interruptions_ we’ve had over the past few months, we might need a place where we can be alone sometimes, even if it’s to do what we’re doing right now and just hang out together. Listen, I’m nowhere near asking you to call a U-Haul or anything-”

Nicole stopped talking, silenced by Waverly’s lips on hers. The brunette pulled away from the kiss slightly, resting her forehead against the officer’s. “Babe, you’re rambling.” Nicole took a breath, chuckling to herself.

“Yeah, it seems like it,” she said. Waverly smiled, reaching up to cup Nicole’s cheek.

“I love it. Practicality and all. And I agree, we need a place where we can have some alone time. If Wynonna walks in on us again I’m going to scream.” Waverly stood up, walking over to where her keys hung on a hook by the door. She slipped Nicole’s apartment key onto the ring and turned around to find the officer standing right behind her. The redhead simply pointed upward to the ceiling, the corners of her mouth turned up in a sly grin. Waverly looked up to see mistletoe hanging from the rafters. She rolled her eyes at her girlfriend. “You planned that, didn’t you?” she said, stepping closer to Nicole.

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.” Nicole said quietly, before pulling the smaller girl into a passionate kiss. The officer’s hands rested on the small of her back as Waverly’s fingers found their way from the back of Nicole’s neck into fiery red hair. Needing to come up for air, the two parted, and brown eyes met green. Nicole’s stomach dropped. There was that look again. That look Waverly sometimes gave her that suggested she was feeling something she wasn’t quite ready to say aloud. In the short time that she had been in Purgatory, Nicole had been sure of a couple of things. One, there was something strange going on in this town, and two, she was falling for Waverly Earp. Hard. The officer only hoped that Waverly knew that she felt the same way she did, and that it probably scared her just as much as it scared the tiny brunette. This was new territory. While it was true that she may have been in love once, she had never felt a connection to someone the way she felt connected to Waverly, and if she kept looking at Nicole like that, the officer was certain that she was doomed. She pulled the smaller girl closer into a tight embrace, taking the time to revel in the calm that had taken over the house, the sharp smell of pine slicing through the warm air as snow once again began to fall outside. Waverly lifted her head from where it rested on the redhead’s chest to make eye contact with her girlfriend once more.

“Merry Christmas, Nicole.”

“Merry Christmas, baby.”

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! Leave a comment if you want!


End file.
